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Credit Crunch Crime Means More Garden Security

31st January, 2009

With the UK in recession, crimes of burgulary and theft are rising. Now is the time to be assesing what you can do to improve your garden security, as the harder it is for thieves the less likely you'll be one of their unfortunate victims. Here are some handy tips to make your garden into every robbers nightmare.

1. Who goes there! A PIR Sensor light is a great way of repelling intruders, that will scuttle just like woodlice when you lift a rock and let some sunshine in. The sensor will detect movement and light up your garden. This means you can see what is happening and can phone the police with a description. This will also be helpful if you are coming into your garden and will make your entry safer as you open your door etc. A solar powered security light can be ordered from the readers shop HERE

2. Credit Crunch Nothing like a nice crunchy gravel path to alert you or your dog that you have an unwelcome visitor. Gravel can be bought from all good garden centres and looks nice as well!

3. Fort Knox Never mind a feeble padlock that was free in a cracker, get yourself down the DIY shop and get some heavy duty bolts and locks for sheds, and outbuildings. Check your door is sturdy that connects the house with the garage and fit a mortis lock. Also add bolts to the interior of the garage door.

4. Lock Down If you have some nice features and garden furniture, stake them into the ground or get a chain and attach it to a wall then wrap around items in the garden and attach onto another wall with a padlock. This might sound unsightly but can be hidden under shrubs and plant pots.

5. SAS Assault Course If you have a paper thin fence, that can easily be climbed over, consider getting something higher and more sturdy. Then perhaps a nice lick of anti intruder paint to finish off the job. 6ft will not be high enough, add a couple of feet of trellis along the top, this could be covered with an attractive climbing plant such as Honeysuckle or Clematis.

6. Prickly Customers The Metropolitan Police advise that thorny bushes can often put off the opportune thief. Their 'Pest'icide Squad have done some handy botanical research and suggest the following little beauties;

"Creeping Juniper

Juniperis horizontalis 'Wiltonii' - Also known as 'Blue Rug' because it has long branches and its prostrate shape forms a flattened blue carpet. It has a thorny stem and foliage.

Blue Spruce

Picea pungens 'Globosa' - Rigid branches, irregular dense blue, spiky needles. Height 1-1.25m x 75cm - 1 m. Slow growing. Moist rich soil.

Common Holly

Ilex agulfolium - Large evergreen shrub, dark green spiked leaves. Large red berries on female plants only. Any well drained soil. Plant with garden compost and bone-meal.

Giant Rhubarb

(Gunnera manicata)- Giant rhubarb-like leaves on erect stems, abrasive foliage. Can grow up to 2.5m high. Plant by water-side for effect.

Golden Bamboo

Phyllostachys aurea- Very graceful, forming thick clumps of up to 3.5m high. Less invasive than other bamboos. Hardy. Young shoots in spring.

Chinese Jujube

Zizyphus sativa - Medium sized tree with very spiny pendulous branches. Leaves glossy bright green. Bears clusters of small yellow flowers.

Firethorn

Pyracantha 'Orange Glow' - Flowers white in June, with bright orange-red berries. Thorny stem. Height 10-15ft. Suitable for north or east-facing wall or as impenetrable hedging.

Shrub Rose

Rosa 'Frau Dagmar Hastrup' - Excellent ground cover, pale pink flowers, very thorny stem. May to September. Plant with garden compost and bone-meal.

Pencil Christmas Tree

Picea abias 'Cupressina' - Medium-sized tree of columnar habit, with ascending spiky branches. Attractive form with dense growth. Avoid dry chalky soils.

Juniper

Juniperus x media 'Old Gold' - Evergreen. Golden-tipped foliage. Prickly foliage. Height 2ft. Spread 6ft. Low growing. Excellent ground cover.

Purple Berberis

Berberis thunbergil 'Atropurpurea'- Rich purple foliage. Thorny stem. Medium-sized deciduous. Any soil sunny position.

Mountain Pine

Pinus mugo 'Mughus'- A very hardy, large shrub or small tree, with long sharp needles, of dense, bushy habit. Leaves in pairs, 3 - 4cm long, rigid and curved, dark green, cone.

Blue Pine

Picea pungens 'Hoopsii'- Small to medium-sized tree, spiky needled stem, densely conical habit, with vividly glaucous blue leaves. Likes moist, rich soil.

Oleaster

Elaeagnus angustifolia - Small deciduous tree, about 4.5 to 6 m (15 to 20 feet) high. Smooth, dark brown branches that often bear spines and narrow, light green leaves that are silvery on the undersides. The flowers are small, greenish, fragrant, and silvery-scaled on the outside, as are the edible, olive-shaped, yellowish fruits, which are sweet but mealy. Hardy, wind resistant, tolerant of poor, dry sites, and thus useful in windbreak hedges.

Blackthorn

Prunus spinosa - Also called Sloe; spiny shrub. Usually grows less than 3.6 metres (12 feet) tall and has numerous, small leaves. Its dense growth makes it suitable for hedges. White flowers. Bluish-black fruit is used to flavour sloe gin.

Fuschia-flowered Gooseberry

Ribes speciosum - Fruit bush, spiny, produces greenish to greenish-pink flowers in clusters of two or three. Extremely hardy, thrive in moist, heavy clay soil in cool, humid climate.

In addition, the following thorny plants can also be considered:

Aralia, Chaenomeles, Colletia, Crataegus (including hawthorn/may), Hippophae (sea buckthorn), Maclura, Mahonia, Oplopanax, Osmanthus, Poncirus, Rhamnus, Rosa (climbing & shrub roses), Rubus (bramble), Smilax

Prickly ash (Zanthoxylum)

Although they will take some time to grow, the end result justifies the effort. They should deter even the most determined burglar."

6. How Alarming Consider adding battery operated alarms to outside buildings such as your shed or greenhouse, so it can alert you or your neighbours there is an intruder.

7. Glass Proof Place wooden or metal lockable shutters on your shed windows or any glass windows near to house doors. Also do the same with any windows you might have connecting the garage with the house.

8. Domesday Data Add postcodes onto your garden tools and machinery with black permanent marker, make a note of serial numbers on the items and also take photos of them as well as any expernsive garden plants. Keep these in a safe place and they can be used to retrieve your stuff if you are a victim of crime by the police.

9. Front Garden Keep shrubs at the front lower, so thieves cannot hide from the street behind them.

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